Lightning Protection

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Overview
• Characteristics of Lightning
• Principles of Protection
• Precautions for Personnel
• Precautions for Electronic Equipment

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Characteristics of Lightning
• Static Electricity
• Ultra-High Voltage Generation
• The Discharge
• Surface Dispersion
• Basic Laws of Electricity

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Lightning
• Static Electricity
• Separation and storage of electrical charge
• A spark is an extremely small lightning discharge

• Ultra-High Voltage Generation

• Surface of earth is normally negatively charged
• Top of storm clouds are positively charged
• Forces nearby earth to become positively charged
• Develops a multimillion-volt potential
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The Discharge
• Clouds send negative charged leaders down

• Earth sends positive leaders up

• From grounded sharp metal objects

• Conducting path when leaders meet

• Unidirectional (DC) current flow
• Voltage potential 100 to 1,000 million volts
• Current range 10,000 to 200,000 amperes
• Duration from 1 microsecond to 1 second
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Anatomy of a Lightning Stroke

Current begins
Electrons begin the return stroke,
zigzagging an intense wave
downward in a of positive
forked pattern. As the leader and
charge traveling
This is the streamer come together,
As the stepped leader upward about
“stepped leader.” nears the ground, it
a powerful electrical
60,000 miles per
current begins flowing.
draws a streamer of second.
positive charge upward.
Surface Dispersion
• Surface dispersion
• Main portion of lightning bolt penetrates earth
• Spurs find far-reaching paths along surface

• Surface dispersion is deadly

• Stay out of the water
• Keep away from trees

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Basic Laws or Electricity
• Lightning creates magnetically induced current in all metal
items within its influence
• The longer the wire, greater the current
• The closer the strike, greater the current

• Any impedance to current flow results in

• Build up of high voltage at that location
• Resulting in arc-over to reach ground
• Ignites flammable material
• Vaporizes metal of insufficient cross-section

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Principles of Protection
• Cone of Protection
• Lightning Protection System
• Power Boat Applications
• Sail Boat Applications

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 Cone of Protection
• Lightning rod protects areas within its cone
• 60 degree cone is 99% effective
• 45 degree cone is 99.9% effective

• Less current flow from sharp pointed tip 10

 More current flow from blunt or ball tip

Lightning Protection System
• Air Terminal
• Discharge Conductor
• Water Terminal
• Bonding

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 Air Terminal
• Also known as a Lightning Rod
• Traditionally ¼ inch copper rod
• With sharpened point
• Six inches above object to be protected

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 Discharge Conductor
• Not less than #4 AWG
• Uninsulated stranded copper wire
• “Straight” from Air Terminal to Water Terminal
• No sharp bends (bend radius of 1 foot)
• Should be run outside of hull
• Electrical wiring should be at right angles

#4
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Water Terminal
• Also known as a Ground Plate
• External to hull
• Sailboats use metal keel
• Area of one square foot
• Not painted
• No water film between plate and hull
• Use bedding compound

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Size: 18” x 6” x ½”
Bonding (Chapter 2)
• Bonding is also for Lightning Protection
• Purpose – keep all metal surfaces at zero potential
• To prevent electrical shock
• To prevent stray current corrosion
• To prevent induced potential from lightning strike
• Bonding conductor
• Cross section of #6 AWG
• Strap not less than #20 gauge (0.032 inch thick)
• Normally #6 bare copper wire
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Powerboat Application
• Fiberglass antennas provide NO protection
• Add lightning rod on other side for protection
• e.g. grounded metal whip antenna
• Ground the signal mast or “Tuna Tower”
• Need a ground plate
• Stay within the cone of protection
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Powerboat Application
• Grounded metal whip provides protection
• Grounded HF whip antenna with loading coil
• No protection above loading coil
• Unless loading coil bypassed with large conductor

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Sailboat Application
• Metal masts are grounded (bonded)
• Add discharge conductor to wood mast
• Shrouds and stays grounded
• Keel is ground plate

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Precautions for Personnel
• Remain inside the boat
• Trust lightning protection system

• Stay Out of the Water

• Surface dispersion

• Avoid contact with metal surfaces

• Induced voltage

• Handle only one metal control at a time

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Precautions for Electronics
• Before a lightning storm

• After a lightning strike

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Before Lightning Storm
• Put a loop in cables
• Signal
• Power

• Disconnect ALL unnecessary equipment

before, NOT DURING a lightning storm

• All entertainment equipment
• Redundant communications and navigation equipment
• Disconnect power cables, if accessible
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• Disconnect and ground antennas
Before Lightning Storm 2
• If underway, keep operational
• One VHF radio
• One GPS / chart plotter
• Radar, if so equipped

• Handhelds stored below

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After Direct Lightning Strike
• First, check crew – CPR Required?
• Next, check hull – repair any new leaks
• Then check navigation & safety equipment
• Radios with test call, or with handheld
• Magnetic compass
• Verify with GPS
• Deviation table may no longer be accurate
• If fixed VHF Radio or GPS inoperative
• Go to backup handheld unit 23
Summary
• Tremendous energy in lightning strike
• Lightning protection
• Based on cone of protection
• Components
• Air terminal
• Discharge conductor (#4 AWG stranded)
• Water terminal (1 sq ft)
• Bond all metal above deck
• Before lightning storm
• Disconnect all unnecessary equipment
• After lightning strike
• First check people
• Then hull
• May have to go to backup electronics

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